I recently got myself lots of samples from Palais des Thés.

This is a South Korean green tea.

Description by Palais des Thés

Harvested in the spring on the island of Jeju, Jejudo Imperial is a green tea from Korea. Sweet and mellow,its marine and fresh hazelnut notes are typical of sejak - Korean spring teas. Well worth trying, this tea is of a very high quality.

An unusual green tea. Jejudo Impérial differs from green teas from China and Japan, with its sweetness and pronounced umamiflavour.

Compared to Japanese green teas:

More cooked notes: more well cooked vegetables, cooked fish flesh, much less fresh spinach and seaweedthan Japanese teas. The addition of minerality.More umami, very sweet.

Compared to Long Jing: Less toasted, less nutty, less minerality.

This tea is grown organically and certified by Ecocert, an accredited independent certification body.

Preparation

  • Temperature: 170°F / 76°C
  • Time: 15s, 25s, 35s
  • Tea Amount: 4 g
  • Water Volume: 3 oz / 100 mL

Overview

This South Korean green tea drinks like a lightly roasted tea, steamy rather than smoky. Some bitterness on the front suggests it might be one of the more unremarkable teas.

Steepings

1st Steep (170°F / 76°C, 15s)

Definitely drinks like a light roasted tea, more steamy than smoky. Some bitterness on the front, but it seems like this might be one of the boring ones.

2nd Steep (170°F / 76°C, 25s)

Nothing interesting really, some floral notes that are drowned by the light astringency.

3rd Steep (170°F / 76°C, 35s)

Again, the same. I’m not going to pain myself any longer with such a boring tea.

Overall Impression

A boring tea that’s mildly enjoyable. The subtle traits that are felt aren’t ones I enjoy particularly (I really don’t like boring floral notes that always turn into bitterness).

Rating:

  • Flavor Complexity: 10/30 – Exceptionally simple.
  • Brewing Forgiveness: 10/20 – It seemed particularly sensitive around 75(± 2)°C.
  • Consistency Across Infusions: 15/20 – Consistent, but its sensitivity scared me a bit.
  • Overall Enjoyment: 10/30 – Mildly enjoyable, but not to my taste.

45/100

- yaro